Old City Philadelphia is the heart of the City of Brotherly Love, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution written. From the Delaware Indians and early Swedish settlers to the artisans and craftspeople who lived along Elfreth's Alley-the oldest residential street in the United States-this town represented the backbone of the new nation until the city's priorities shifted. As change buffeted the city and the nation, Old City Philadelphia resisted passing into oblivion and recreated itself as a place committed to tradition, craftsmanship, and history that is a resident's, and visitor's, delight.

Old City Philadelphia: Cradle of American Democracy (PA) (Making of America)

History

George, Alice L.

Americas

Arcadia Publishing

For thirteen days in October 1962, America stood at the brink of nuclear war. Nikita Khrushchev's decision to place nuclear missiles in Cuba and John F. Kennedy's defiant response introduced the possibility of unprecedented cataclysm. The immediate threat of destruction entered America's classrooms and its living rooms. Awaiting Armageddon provides the first in-depth look at this crisis as it roiled outside of government offices, where ordinary Americans realized their government was unprepared to protect either itself or its citizens from the dangers of nuclear war. During the seven days between Kennedy's announcement of a naval blockade and Khrushchev's decision to withdraw Soviet nuclear missiles from Cuba, U.S. citizens absorbed the nightmare scenario unfolding on their television sets. An estimated ten million Americans fled their homes; millions more prepared shelters at home, clearing the shelves of supermarkets and gun stores. Alice George captures the irrationality of the moment as Americans coped with dread and resignation, humor and pathos, terror and ignorance. In her examination of the public response to the missile crisis, the author reveals cracks in the veneer of American confidence in the early years of the space age and demonstrates how the fears generated by Cold War culture blinded many Americans to the dangers of nuclear war until it was almost too late.

Awaiting Armageddon: How Americans Faced the Cuban Missile Crisis

The University of North Carolina Press

George provides a fresh look at the thirteen days America was on the brink of nuclear war. Rather than focusing on the politics and behind-the-scenes negotiations, she looks at the homefront response when millions of Americans panicked. It was painfully clear that the U.S. government was unprepared to protect its civilian population. This episode was an early brush with the issues of homeland security. We were no more prepared on September 11, 2001 than we were in October 1962 to meet such a crisis.

Old City Philadelphia: Cradle of America

Arcadia Publishing (SC)

This ten-volume encyclopedia explores the social history of 20th-century America in rich, authoritative detail, decade by decade, through the eyes of its everyday citizens.
Social History of the United States is a cornerstone reference that tells the story of 20th-century America, examining the interplay of policies, events, and everyday life in each decade of the 1900s with unmatched authority, clarity, and insight.
Spanning ten volumes and featuring the work of some of the foremost social historians working today, Social History of the United States bridges the gap between 20th-century history as it played out on the grand stage and history as it affected―and was affected by―citizens at the grassroots level. Covering each decade in a separate volume, this exhaustive work draws on the most compelling scholarship to identify important themes and institutions, explore daily life and working conditions across the economic spectrum, and examine all aspects of the American experience from a citizen's-eye view. Casting the spotlight on those whom history often leaves in the dark, Social History of the United States is an essential addition to any library collection.
 • Entries covering the lives and contributions of ordinary citizens, social movements, religion, culture, the arts, economic and labor issues, and other aspects of American life across the 20th century
• Contributions by accomplished researchers in the field of American social history
• Sidebars providing additional emphasis on important issues and less well-known personalities
• Detailed timelines for every decade, incorporating famous events with pivotal moments that changed the lives of everyday citizens
• A thematically organized index for each of the encyclopedia's ten volumes

Social History of the United States (10 Vol. Set )

Greenberg, Brian

Watts, Linda S.

Beekman, Scott

Mercier, Laurie

Ciabattari, Mark

Cohen, Nancy

Hunt,Andrew

Bucki, Cecelia

Greenwald, Richard A.

Reavley, Gordon

Stoner, John C.

Paino, Troy D.

Holloran, Peter C.

ABC-CLIO

The Last American Hero: The Remarkable Life of John Glenn

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became a national star. That morning at Cape Canaveral, the small-town boy from Ohio took his place atop a rocket and soared into space. He became celebrated in all corners of the world as not just the first American to orbit the Earth, but as the first space traveler to take the human race with him. Refusing to let that dramatic day define his life, he went on to become a four-term US senator-and returned to space at the age of seventy-seven. The Last American Hero is a stunning examination of the layers that formed the man: a hero of the Cold War, a two-time astronaut, a veteran senator, a devoted husband and father, and much more. At a time when an increasingly cynical world needs heroes, John Glenn's aura burns brightly in American memory.

Biographies & Memoirs

Professionals & Academics

Chicago Review Press

<div>On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became a national star. That morning at Cape Canaveral, a small-town boy from Ohio took his place atop a rocket and soared into orbit to score a victory in the heavily contested Cold War. The television images were blurry black-and-white phantoms. The cameras shook as the rocket moved, but by the end of the day, one thing was clear: a new hero rode that rocket and became the center of the world's attention for the four hours and fifty-five minutes of his flight. From that day forward, Glenn restively wore the hero label. Refusing to let that dramatic day define his life, he went on to become a four-term US senator--and returned to space at the age of seventy-seven. He was a creation of the media, in some ways, but he was also a product of the Cold War. At a time when increasingly cynical Americans need heroes, his aura burns brightly in American memory.</div>

Historical

Tantor Media, Inc.

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